Air compressing machine



Julyzl, .1931. w. J. BRIGHTWELL AIR COMPRESSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 16, 1950 y 1931. w. J. BRIGHTWELL AIR COMPRESSING MACHINE v Filed Aug. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 t pained July 21,1931 a I WALTER J.. BBIG'THJTWELL, Q KILGQRE, (TEXAS a rie,comrnnssmo ivmcnmn Y 7 Application fiiea August s, 1930;. Serial No. 475,749.

invention relatesfto air compressors,

andhas'for oneof its objects to improvethe" general constructionof'machines :of this charactor and to providje 'onewhich shall be adapt- Bedtq deliver a comparatively largevolume of air to a storage tankiand maintain it under aliigh'stat'eofcompression with the expenditureiof c'omparatively little energy.

Toattainftheforegoing and'other objects,

scriptionj proceeds; the; invention compre hends the provision ofj anair compressor which shall embody a' plurality offcompressing unitshaving reciprocable pistons and dischaifging jintothe'storage tank; and meansoperable b'y'the soureeof energy and so connectedlto thefpiStOnSjas to cause them to describe their co1npression'strokes successively. 1 The invention, is hereinafter i fully dei eribedj' nd cla med. andllill st ate'df n the ac, companying drawings, wherein a v 1j1s a 'side elevation of an air com- Y F gurel 2 is "a top planfview thereof with part g'in' e'e i n; v V Fig. re; 3iis} a detail sectional view on the l E gilre llis'aj' fr gm nt ry d l v n; v Eig'ure 5; illustrates'a portion of the operating hanis m partly in section and partly standards 25m formed integrally'with the sides: 5 and 5a, andiare connected at' their ifint 'dgesby 'a'webfiwhich extends from the p v upperedgS 02f.the jstandardsto ai plane. short ;f;th 1'ower edgesithereofg The .front' ends oii lie'side'si i ancli5aland. th ow rper ionsof westwards2 m -re in-iorced by inwardly di ecte'df flanges 7 which; are formed integrally; withthese parts; and with the web 6 59- flieiiont'end lis' provided" with an opening are'located within the base-1, and are securedto theside 5a of the base. The compressing ressor; constructed in accordance with my I detailsectioniview on theline 29 and guide sleeves and which bear at their 8; andthis end and thesides Sand 5a arepro-f vided at their upper edges with inner and in d tegrally connected'fianges 9. The sides 5 and f 5a are provided near their transverse centers with transversely alined openings 9 and10,fl-f respectively. Y The standards 2are provided at: their upper ends with bearings 11; The

Web 6is provided in its upper end with 'a're-' i i v p cess 12. The base 1 is light, strong and dulb tlregnatureof whi h.-'wi'l1. PP as the rable; and is adapted to be mounted upona fio concreteor other suitable foundation, and is adapted'to'be securedto' the foundation by bolts "lg passing' through lugs let extending outwardly from the lower'edges of the end't' and sides5 and 5a. I

A plurality of compressingunits 15, 16, 17 I and l8 are-carried by thefront end portionof the'b'ase 1. V The compressing units 15 and "16' units l7 and'lS are arranged at the outer side r of theibaselandare secured to the wall 5 "of thebase by bolts 20. Thecompressing units 155 18 arejsimilar, and each comprises acyl inder '21" fiXedto a plate 22through the-"me: dium'of whichit is secured'toj the base 1. The? 7 cylinders 21'are closed at theirrear ends and openjat their front-(ends, and are provided; in their l1eads23 withinta ke ports 24 and dis chargep0rts 25. Pistons 26 are reciprocably mounted in the cylinders 21, and are provided 1' with packing ringsl27 to establish an air-tight o i 7 connection between them and the cylinders.

The intake p'orts24: areunder the control of; seating Valves 28 which areflcarried by stems 29 extending rearwardly from the ,cylinders-2li Guide sleeves 30, which extend rearwardly from the cylinder heads 23fare provided'foi' the valve stems 29, and are pro- VidedQattheir front ends Withoutwardly direete'dgflangesfil which bear againstthecyl 4 1 inder heads and are secured thereto by cap screwsl32; The fianges 31 are provided with openings. 33 which establish communication between theinta-ke ports Q land the atmosphere The guide sleeves 30, carry lubricators' 3 1; "The valves 28 are constantly urged in the; direction of their closed position by coil springs; 35' which surround. the valve stems 0'0 front ends against the flanges 31 and at their 1 .1111381'101 of the guide sleeves 42 and being prorear'ends against washers 36 secured to the cylinder heads 23 through the mediumof cou pling flanges 41 formedintegrallywithithe cylinder heads. The rear end portions of the casings 40 are radially enlarged,-- and ar ranged in these portions thereof are arms 41 v which carry guide sleeve's 42 for thewa'lve' stems 39. The arms41 rest against theshoulders 43jlformed at thejuncture of. the large and small portions of the casings 40, and are secured in pla'ic'e by bolts 44 and 45, the bolts 45 being hollow and communicating with the vi'decl at'their. outer ends with lubricators 46.

The guide sleeves 42 are arranged in the small-. or portions of the casings 40, and extend from the arms 41 to points short of the cylinder.

heads 23. The valves 38 are constantly urged inithedirection of their closed position by coil springs .47 which are mountedupon the,

guide sleeve 42 and bear at their front ends against the valves 38' and at their rear ends "against the arms 41.

The casings 460,1 thecompressing units 15 and lfi ar'e connected by pipes 48 to a manifold '49, and the casings ofthe compressing, units, 17 and 18 are connected by pipes 50 to a.

manifold 51. The manifold 49 is connected to the manifold 51 byla pipe 52, and the mam.

fold 51"is connected by a pipe 53 to a storage tank'54. The storage tank 54 is provided with a safetyjvalve '55 and with a pressure gauge 56, and itis adapted to be connected to a com pressed air motor orthe like by apipe 57.

the spring 58to be regulated and controlled.v

The pipe 53 is provided with acut-off valve 58 which is normally opened and normally 1; closed when thecompressor is idle. Thefsafetv valve 55; is held closedby a spring 58 which *isfniounted upon the rod59fof the valve and bears at'its lower end against the valve and at itsupper end againsta bar 60 'throughwhich thestem passes. Thebar60 is secured'to upright bracke v arms61by bolts 62. The nuts 63f'of thejbolts 62 bearagainst the .bar' 60' and are adjustable to permit the tension of A pivot' rod 64 is carried by the openings 9 and 10, andmounted upon the pivot rod at points adjacent their lower ends are levers 65 and 66. "The levers 65 and'66are provided with bosses 67 which surround the rod 64 and which contact with the basesides 5 and 5a to position the lever 65 in alinement with the axial centers of the compressing-units 15 and- 16:to position the lever'66 in alinement with the axial centers of the compressing units 17 and V The levers 65 and 66 are maintained in the positions as stated by washers 67 which are mounted upon the rod 64 in contact with the levers, and by wedges 68 which pass through the rod and contact with the washers. The lever 65 is connected below the pivot rod 64 with the piston 26 of the compressingunit 15 and above the pivot rod with the piston'of the compressing unit 64-. The -lever 66 is 0011- ne'cte'd below'the pivot rod 64 with the piston 26 of the compressing unit 17 and above the piston rod with thepi'ston' of the compressing unit 18. The levers 65 and 66 are connected totheir respective pistons by rods69 which are pivotally connected to the pistons, as at 76,'and to the 'leve'rsjas at 71.

A shaft/7 2 isjournaled 1nthebearings'11,

andi'is' inalinement with the l ver trends, crank 73. The shaft 72 is provided at one; end wlth a disc 74 which carrlesawristp n'if 7 5 arranged in alinement-with the lever '66..

I The crank 73 is connected to the lever65 a rod 76, and the wrist pin75is connected to.

the lever 66. by a rod 7 7, the rods being'con-J.

nected totheupper ends of thelevers, as at" 7 8 Theshaft 72 is provided'at its other end with a'pulley 79 adapted'to be connected'by the belt 80 to an engine of any 'well' known or I appropriate.constructioni.

Theopening 8 in the rearend 4 oftheb'ase;

l is provided for the passage 'ofthe valve stems29fand valve casings40, ofthe: com-j pressing units 15 and 16. The open ng 12 of j the web 6 provides clearance for the crank 7311 ofthe shaft 7 2. The connection-between the levers 65 and 66 and the, pivot rod 64 and the connections between the levers and the rods 69 are lubricated"through the medlumzof grease cups 81. -The"connection between the.

rod76, lever 65 and crank 78, and thejcon-T necticn between the rod 77, lever 66 andwr'lst pin '15 are lubricated through the medium of grease cups 82. Grease cups 83"andi84 a're also provided for lubricating the pistons of.

the compressing units and 16 and theptiQn nections between the pistonsand the rods 69. VVhen the compressor is in operation, the

levers65 and 66 are'rocke'd from theshaft 72,

and the rocking of the levers reciprocates the pistons 26 of the compressing unitsf15, ;18.,

During their rearward strokes, thefpi stons'26 draw air into the cylinders byway ofthe ports 24, and during their forward strokes,

the pistons expel the air from the cylinders] by way'of the portsi25, the air passingfrom theseports" into the storage tank 54. The crank 7 3 and wr lstpin' 'l' 5 are angularly related.,

In view thereof, compressing units 1518 are connected'to the levers 65 and 66 at opposite sides of the pistons of the levers, no two of the pistons will describe their compression strokes at the same time. Thisinsures the sm'o'oth operation ofthe compressor, and, together with the manner in which the pistons'are connected to" and as the pistons of. the

the shaft, permits-a comparatively large vol- 1 'ume of air to be highly compressed with the expenditure of comparatively little energy; I

It should be understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the ace companying drawings, that the compressor is simple, durable and highly efficient, that it 5 maybe manufactured and maintained in a high state of efficiency at lowcost, and that its parts are compactly. arranged and so ar v ranged as to permit .easy access to them for I adjustment or repairs, '1 r v i j While I have describedthe principle of the finvention, together with'the structure which I now consider the preferred embodiment" a thereof, it is to be understood that the struc- 1 ture. shown is merely illustrative and that 1 such changes maybe made, when desired, as

fall within the scope ofithe invention as v claimed; 9

Anair compressorcomprising a hollow base including sides and standards arranged Y atone endthereof and'formed integrally with r the sides, upper and lower compressing units arranged within the base at the other end wardly of the base at said last named end 3 thereof and secured to the other ofsaid sides,

a and withinthe base,rods connected .to the thereof and secured to one of said sides,upper and lower compressing units located outavertical lever pivoted near its lower end to lever above and below its pivot and connected tosaid first compressing units, a second vertlcal lever plvoted near 1ts lower end outtothe upper ends of thelevers.

,In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX signature. c

WALTER I J; BRIGHTWELL; 

